koernee



(No Model.)

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. A. O. K OERNER.

FIRING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANOE.

Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

N. PETERS. mwuxm n rm. Washington, we.

(N0 Modem 2 sheets-sheet 2;

A. G. KOERNER.

FIRING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANOE. v No. 394,190. Patented Dec. 11, l-888"-.,

' UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALFRED C. KOERNER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOTOHKISS ORDNANCE COMPANY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FIRING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,190, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed July 1'7, 1888- Serial No. 280,210. (No model.) Patented in England February 29, 1888, No. 3,059; in France March 9,1888,No.189,228; in Belgium March 9, 1888,1l0. 80,939; in Italy March 12, 1888, XLVI, 117, and in Germany March 13,1888,N0.44,928.

. To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED O. KOERNER, a subject of the Queen of England, residing in Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ordnance, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, (the said invention being embraced in Letters Patent of Great Britain, No. 3,059, of February 29,1888; France, No. 189,228, of March 9,1888; Belgium, No. 80,939, of March 9, 1888; Italy, N0. 117, Vol. 46, of March 12, 1888, and Germany, No. 44,928, of March 13, 1888.)

This invention relates to improvements in the aiming and firing mechanisms of those rapid-firing and other guns in which the gun has a recoil independent of the aiming mechanism.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a construction in which shall be combined in one device the firing and one of the aiming mechanisms of a gun in convenient position for use, and to thereby greatly facilitate the two operations of aiming and firing and render more accurate the aiming of the gun, and by which also loss of time and liability to variations in the aim of the gun, due to the movement of the gunners hand from the aiming to the firing mechanism in the old construction, is avoided.-

To this end the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, all of which will nowbe described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view illustrating the application of the invention to an ordinary Hotchkiss rapid-firing gun. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, looking toward the right. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the trigger device, and Fig. AL is a section taken on the line 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to said drawings, it is to be understood that O represents the ordinary shoulder-piece of a gun, against which the shoulder of the gunner rests when elevating and aiming the gun; B, a deflecting-piece connected to or made integral with the shoulder-piece C for sidewise movement of the gun and for elevating the same in aiming, and K the gun proper, having a recoil ind ependent of the aiming devices. The deflector B has formed upon it or rigidly secured to it a hollow handle, A, in convenient position to be grasped by the firing hand of the gunner. \Vithin the hollow handle A is arranged so as to slide therein a hollow plug, D, having at its outer end a head. Secured at one end to the head of the plug D, and passing through said plug and the hollow handle A, is cord or lanyard E, which is fastened at its other end to a trigger, F. The trigger F is of bell-crank form, (see Fig. 1,) and is fulcrumed upon a pin, G, journaled in lugs H, secured to the under side of the breech of the gun. The trigger F is held in proper position by means of a spring, J, seated in a recess formed in the lug H, and secured at one end to said lug and at the other to the trigger F, as best shown in Fig. 4..

The breech-block L of the gun carries the usual sear, I, which controls the firing-bolt, and which, when the breech-block is raised to proper position to close the breech, will rest against the upper arm of the trigger F, as shown in Fig. 1.

The manner of using the apparatus as thus constructed is as follows: hen the gun has been charged and the breech-block raised to close the breech, the sear I will, as before stated, rest against the upper arm of the trigger F. The gunner will then elevate and aim the gun by means of the shoulder-piece O and the deflector B, his right or firing hand grasping the hollow handle A of the latter, and when the gun has been properly aimed the gunner will slide his firing hand outward upon the handle A, without removing it therefrom, un-

til he reachesthe head of the plug D, which of the trigger F automatically to its normal position, when the operation which has just been described will be repeated.

It will be seen that by thus combining the aiming and firing mechanisms the firing of the gun is accomplished without the necessity of the removal of the firing hand of the gun ner from the aiming mechanism after the operation of aiming has been performed, these tWo operations being, therefore, accomplished with greater facility and with less loss of time than in the old constructions, wherein the two mechanisms have been separate from each other. By reason of this construction, also, the liability of variations in the aim of the gun during the movement of the gunners hand from the aiming to the firing mechanism is avoided, the gunner in the present construction being enabled to retain the gun in the positionin which he has set it with his firing hand, and at the same time perform the operation of firing the gun. It will further be seen that by reason of the construction of the trigger F, heretofore described, the firing of the gun is prevented until the breech-block has been moved to proper position to close the breach, as at no other time will the trigger F bear against and operate the sear I to trip the firing bolt or hammer of the gun to fire the same, thus preventing premature firing of the gun,

VVhat I claim is The combination, with the shoulder-piece C and the gun K, having a recoil independent of the shoulder-piece, of the handle A, rigid with the shoulder-piece and having the sliding part D, and the lanyard E, connecting said sliding part with the firing mechanism to actuate the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. r

ALFRED C. KOERNER. *itnesses:

J. L. RATHBONE, R. J. PRESTON.

It is hereby certified that the word Limited should hawe been added to the name of the assignee in Letters Patent No. 394,190, granted December 11, 1888, upon the application of Alfred C. Koerner, of Paris, France, for an improvement in Firing Mechanism for Ordnance, making said name read Hotchkt'ss Ordnance Company, Limited, and that the Letters Patent should :be read with this correction therein that the same may ccnform t0 the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 18th day of December, A. D. 1888.

H. L. MULDROW, First Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

[SEAL.]

Countersigned:

BENTON J. HALL,

Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that the word Limited should have been added to the name of the assignee in Letters Patent No. 394,190, granted December 11, 1888, upon the application of Alfred C. Koerner, of Paris, France, for an improvement in Firing Mechanism for Ordnance, making said name read Hotchkiss Ordnance Company, Limited, and that the Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofice.

Signed, conntersigned, and. sealed this 18th day of December, A. D. 1888.

H. L. MULDROW, First Assistant Secretary of the Interim.

[SEAL] Countersi gned:

BENTON J. HALL,

Commissioner of Patents. 

